Picking Up the Pieces

Chapter 15: Training Commences

"Oh man! I can't wait to start training! I know there's a lot at stake here, but I'm gettin' kind of excited!" Goku was practically brimming with anticipation, "I didn't even know there were levels beyond Ultra Instinct!"

Jiren smiled at his mate's joyful antics, placing a hand on his shoulder to try and calm down the Saiyan, "Let's not get too carried away now. You know why we're here."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I just can't help it!" Goku grinned at Jiren, "You should be excited too! A transformation for your race must be awesome!"

At that, Jiren seemed apprehensive, "I suppose. But being kept in the dark about it worries me. Who knows what kind of side-effects it might have?"

However, Goku didn't seem too worried at all, "Relax! If there are any side-effects, I'll make sure to bring you back to your senses."

"Thanks Hikari." Jiren replied, and hearing his nickname again made Goku's tail wag happily. Merus, on the other hand, was the complete opposite.

"If we're done with talking, we should begin our training.

"Right."

Goku and Jiren stepped out onto the reflective floor of the chamber, soon growing serious. They knew why they were there, and this wasn't a vacation. They needed all the time they could get.

"Now then... let us begin." Merus closed his eyes, and all of a sudden a duplicate walked out from where he was standing, "In order to maximise our efficiency, I will be using a clone to teach the both of you at the same time."

The Angel opened his eyes again, "Goku, you shall be staying here, whilst Jiren will be a mile away from our current point to avoid interruptions. I will be keeping track of both of you at the same time, so I suggest you listen carefully."

Goku and Jiren nodded, understanding their instructions. The Pride Trooper soon followed the clone off in the distance, leaving the real Merus and Goku.

"Shall we get started?" Merus asked, but Goku raised his hand like a student asking a question, "Just one thing. Ultra Instinct is all about separating the mind from body, right?"

"Yes."

Goku scratched his head, "So how can I go beyond that? Will I be separatin' my mind and body even further?"

Merus shook his head, "It's hard to explain and I don't know how to use it myself, but I will give you a simplified version." he then raised his hand, showing a hologram of an unknown person, "When using Ultra Instinct, your body reacts on its own with no connection to the mind. However, it is merely that: reacting."

He then changed the hologram to suit his explanation, "When you fought against Jiren in the Tournament of Power, while you may have gained a good enough power boost enough to best him, you weren't able to tap into all of the power that may have laid dormant within it. With this further mastery, you will be able to unleash all the potential within you, and will also allow a wider range of techniques."

Goku 'ohhed' in response, "That makes sense! But how come Angels can't do it?"

"Because it takes immense amounts of training to master. We Angels have never trained in combat, we have only been given fighting skills by our father. While we can train others, we can't train ourselves, as that went against Angel laws."

"Huh..." Goku somehow seemed dejected by that. Not being able to train and get stronger by yourself? That must be the worst thing to happen to someone! Well... in Goku's opinion at least. If he wasn't allowed to train himself, he didn't think he could take it!

He was suddenly broken out of his thoughts when Merus spoke, "Now then, have all your questions been answered?"

"Yeah."